I don't know about y'all, but I already have a HUGE list of resources for my classroom that I want to invest in. I started this list freshman year, but in my new placement I have recently been adding a lot of ideas/materials to the list. Now that we're graduating and our own classrooms aren't so far away (eek!), I am starting to really wonder which things are most important to invest in from the get go--books for my classroom library, posters/displays, flashcards, center games, guided reading materials, and SO much more.
I know that my resources and materials will grow over time, but I definitely don't want to feel like I don't have enough supporting materials for my future students and that yearly classroom budgets for supplies are pretty limited. I am definitely going to ask for gift cards to parent-teacher stores for future gifts!
But beyond that, have your teachers given you any tips for materials/resources? Here are a few from my current field mentor:
- the company Really Good Stuff actually has really good stuff!
- subscribe to Scholastic as a teacher now--you don't have to prove that you are one, and you will be tax-exempt and get free shipping and special deals on books
- ask teachers if they have the templates for any of their home-made materials still saved on their computer and have them send those to you! (she's already come up with a few materials in her classroom that we are going to copy for me before I leave)
One thing that I've decided is a priority for me are personal white boards!! Both of my FMs this semester have used theirs almost every single day, and I think they're just invaluable both for quick assessment feedback and to make lessons more engaging for the kids (it doesn't matter if they're using white boards every day; they're still way more fun than paper and pencil!). They're also great for the kindergarteners because when they write, white boards are so easy for the FM and kids to edit. I've seen a couple days where she has them draft what they're writing on their white boards, show it to her to edit/approve, and then copy what's on their white boards onto paper before illustrating.
ReplyDeleteThey are definitely an investment, though, and I have wondered how to make those white boards last when they're being used by 5-year-olds (or whatever elementary age) every day. So it was really fortunate that on my first day in kindergarten, my FM actually addressed this by telling the students that she'd bought brand-new white boards (for $200... :( ), and they had to take super-good care of them. She showed them how to put them away soooo carefully that they didn't make any sound when they touched the table. I'm glad I saw that, because it's the kind of thing that I might not have thought to model so deliberately (and then my first set of white boards would be totally banged up within a week!).
My MT has whiteboards that seem very durable and have survived well in a first grade class! Ilana, I'll see if I can find out any information about them for you.
ReplyDeleteI have asked both of my mentor teachers explicitly for anything–– student resources, teaching practices, lists, book titles–– that has helped them in their time as a teacher. When I went to say goodbye to my first placement, I gave my MT a travel drive and she has been collecting things for me from her computer and files and from the literacy coach and other teachers for me to pick up at the end of the semester. Of course I have no idea what is on it yet, but I would say definitely ask your mentor teachers! Even just names of websites or books that they like are helpful! A lot of the books I have been able to find on amazon for crazy low prices and it seems like if you keep any eye out, there are always great resources available for discounts. Some of the websites from SHARE or other presentations we have done in our class have resources available as well. It seems like a great idea to have a list of resources like this going! Maybe we can make a google doc before the end of the year and keep sharing great finds like these?
So I have stopped gathering books now, since I plan to move. But I used to make it a rule that I would not spend more than $1 on a book for a future classroom. I broke this rule a few times by spending a bit more on favorite books or very nice books, but in general I kept to it. And it is a surprisingly feasible standard. McKays bookstore, for example, Savers back home in Little Rock, and Goodwills here in Nashville have loads of books on sale for less than a dollar each. And while it takes some time to scavenge, I had built up a fairly nice started library with minimal effort and expense. So--used books at cheap prices! Also, garage sales might be a viable option.
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